First written in 2020 this post was checked and updated in October 2026 after my most recent London visit
Of all the areas in London, the one that has changed the most over the years was King Cross.
When I lived in London it was home to the station, a few dodgy nightclubs, a bollard I once reversed my mum’s car into (sorry mum) and a lot of roads you didn’t want to walk down after dark – now, it’s full of cool hotels, wide-open spaces full of bars and restaurants – and, of course, a few unusual sights you might want to check out.
So, here’s our guide to quirky things to see and do around Kings Cross.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which mean I earn a small commission if you use them to book. This does not cost you any extra.
Where is Kings Cross in London?
It’s an area toward the north of central London.
It’s really well connected for travel – two major railway stations Kings Cross and St Pancras are here, as is the Eurostar terminal – and Euston isn’t far away.
It’s also on six tube lines – and easy to get to from Oxford Circus, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Camden. This makes it a pretty easy place to visit no matter where you’re staying or visiting in London.
There’s not really any big tourist attractions in Kings Cross – unless you’re into museums, but, if you want to see one of the newest parts of London or sit outside with a drink, meal or even just an ice cream on a sunny day somewhere where you’re not being driven past by 50 taxis and a bus every ten minutes, then the revitalised areas around the canal in King’s Cross – Granary Square, Coal Drops Yard and Gasholder Park is perfect for you.
Other parts of Kings Cross are less gentrified, and as such, you’ll find old buildings and bits of history to check out among the newness. It really does have something for everyone so, whether you’re adding it as part of a longer London itinerary or just looking for something to do near Kings Cross St Pancras while you wait for a train, take a look around this little lot…
Quirky Things to See and Do in Kings Cross
1. Make Up a Story for The Lighthouse
Come out of Kings Cross station and cross the road to head to Grays Inn Road, look up – there above the Five Guys is a lighthouse.
Exactly why, no-one completely knows – although the most likely rumour is there used to be an oyster bar on the site, which also makes little sense to be fair… but as no-one knows, why not make up your own story.
Maybe Kings Cross used to be a giant inland sea or it’s up there to direct alien spacecraft.
Who knows… all I know is it’s super cool and it sparked my entire Hidden Sights in London post. So I like it.
2. Jump Up and Down on a Grave
No, I haven’t suddenly gone all disrespectful. These gravestones are made to be stepped on as they honour musician Charles Dibdin and Joseph Grimaldi, one of the world’s most famous clowns.
Grimaldi is buried in what was a cemetery, but is now a small park, called Joseph Grimaldi Park, located a short walk east of Kings Cross station along Pentonville Road.
While his actual grave is fenced off in the middle of the park, as part of his memorial there are two coffin-shaped pieces of metal on the ground, which, if you walk, jump or dance on them, play music.
When I went back in October 2026 I noticed that they aren’t quite as loud as they used to be, but, they do still make sounds.
Go, jump up and down, have fun! And add grave dancing to your list of unusual things to do in Kings Cross.
If you’re interested in quirky gravestones, have a look at our post on the unusual headstones at Coober Pedy’s Boothill Cemetery once you’ve finished this one.
3. Visit the Spice Girls Staircase
If you’ve seen the Spice Girls video for Wannabe, you’ll remember it being filmed, at least in part on a very ornate staircase.
That staircase is found in what’s now the St Pancras Hotel.
Technically, you have to be staying in the hotel to actually step on to it, but it’s feasible to wander past it.
Oh, and, if you now get the urge to watch the video, about 2.50 in, that ‘lady’ in the blonde wig and pink dress is an old friend of mine, DJ Barbie.
I was cool once you know (or at least I knew people who were).
4. Drink at the Longest Champagne Bar in Europe
Located right in the middle of St Pancras station is the 98 metres of booths and bar that make up the St Pancras Champagne Bar by Searcys, and that makes it, reportedly, the longest champagne bar in Europe.
There’s a huge selection of drinks to choose from and don’t worry, you can buy fizz by the glass if your budget won’t stretch to a bottle and watch the trains come and go from the Eurostar Terminal.
While you’re there, look up toward the clock at the front of the station and you might notice something interesting.
The area is home to artworks by the Terrace Wires group that are suspended from the roof.
Each one lasts six months and when I was there the work was Tracey Emin’s ode to Europe, the words I Want My Time With You in pink neon.
Talking of art, check out the giant kissing couple. This is The Meeting Place by artist Paul Day. It’s supposed to depict the romantic side of travel…hmm, have they been on a British train? Maybe it just relates to the Eurostar.
5. Get Dressed Up For The Classic Car Boot Sale
Forget dodgy hot dogs and perusing the contents chucked out of the dusty spot in someone’s garage, the Classic Car Boot Sale, that takes place at Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross at least three times a year specialises in vintage clothing and accessories – but, it’s more than that.
It’s a chance to wear your most fabulous outfit with no judgement in one of the friendliest spots I’ve been to in my recent trips to London. If I still lived there, I would go here all the time (my best London friend does which is how I ended up going).
I saw people in full 40s garb, 70s disco catsuits with afros, my friend is always head to foot in 1980s Vivienne Westwood – there was even a dog working multiple outfit changes across the decades.
There’s a bus bar in case you need a little bit of Dutch courage (which also sells the amazing Grapefruit Beer I can only find in London) and, music and dancing. It was glorious.
I also bought the loveliest flower headband from Sinead at Self Raising Flowers – that’s her above, find her stall next to the Big Red Bus.
You can buy tickets in advance, or pay on the door. Check their website to find out the date of the next event.
Why Not Try a Mystery Picnic
Looking for something else fun to do on your London trip – how about a Mystery Picnic? They don’t have them in Kings Cross (yet), but they do have them in nearby Camden, Notting Hill, Hampstead – and other locations around London and the UK.
The idea is simple. You solve clues to pick up all the goodies for your picnic and then enjoy a delicious lunch in one of London’s fabulous parks. We tried it in Camden and loved it – and there was heaps of food.
There’s a few different options for couples, friends and families to choose from, but head to their UK page and you’ll find all of the options.
You can also check out our review of the Camden Mystery Picnic here.
6. Visit the Disco Toilet
Hidden away in the bathrooms of the shuffleboard bar Electric Shuffle north of Coal Drops Yard is a toilet with a difference.
In one stall you’ll see a big red button – push it and see what happens! You won’t regret it.
I went to Electric Shuffle twice on my recent trip – once to try the toilet, once to show Mr Differentville all the cool old tech that decorates the place – it’s a really nice bar and the staff are super friendly.
We didn’t play Shuffle Board, but there are plenty of lanes if you do want to give it a go.
7. Wander Around the Canal
As I said, I lived in London for a long time when Kings Cross was rather dodgy and didn’t even know there WAS a canal and I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to wander down it with a coffee on a Sunday.
Now, the whole area has opened up and is home to quaint locks, canal boat tours, floating shops and idyllic looking house boats.
You can wander down the main towpath past the floating book shop and down to York Way, or head up to St Pancras Lock.
I was fascinated by the new apartments up here – they’ve actually been built in the old gas towers. Look how cool are they…
There’s also a small nature park around here – the Camley Street Natural Park is home to waterbirds and butterflies and even has a stylish architect-designed floating observation platform.
Check the website for opening details.
If you want to learn about Kings Cross as you walk, have a look at this tour by Unseen Tours. Run by formerly unhoused people they explore the history of an area, but also give an insight of what it’s like to live here when you’re not always up on your luck.
8. Visit The Ice Well
A short walk along the canal towpath (and a back double through a few backstreets) takes you to the London Canal Museum which explores the important role the canal played in London’s trade back in the day – and gives you a chance to peer down one of London’s original ice wells…
Okay, so when you arrive you’ll wonder why I’ve sent you to look at a big hole in the ground on your holiday – but bear with me!
Before refrigeration this well supplied much of London with ice – and not just restaurants or shops, but also hospitals where it was used to treat sprains and strains – and numb pain before some surgeries!.
The ice wasn’t made in London though – it was cut in Norway and shipped all the way to the docks in London, where it was then carried by horse and cart to the well here where it was stored.
I find that strangely fascinating!
The Museum also offers boat trips along the canal so if you want to float around the area while you learn things about it, go on one of the days they’re running. Find the museum opening hours and boat trip details here.
9. Eat an Awesome Cheese Sandwich
It’s gooey, very, very gooey – and if you’re been partaking in some of London’s finer hostelries the night before, it’s fantastic hangover food.
I’m talking about the cheese toastie from Morty and Bobs in Coal Drops Yard.
You can pick from a plain simple one with grilled onions, or gussy things up with additions like mushroom and truffle or some bacon. The exact options change when they adjust the menu.
I was set for the day after mine.
Check the menu and opening hours here
You’ll find no end of bars and restaurants in Kings Cross. Highlights include The Lighterman, Casa Pastor, Coal Office and Granary Square Brasserie.
If you’re looking for somewhere unusual but a bit swish, check out The Booking Office – located in the actual old booking office at St Pancras.
10. Pay Homage to Platform 9 and 3/4
For anyone living under a rock for the last 20 odd years, Kings Cross station is home to the fictional (or is it?) platform 9 and 3/4 from which young witches and wizards embark on their journey to Hogwarts, as such it’s a must-stop for any Harry Potter fan.
You can have your picture taken pushing your suitcase through the wall and stock up with merchandise from the Harry Potter shop.
More Harry Potter Inspired Things to Do in London
Once you’ve seen Platform 9 3/4 you might want to know where many of the other Harry Potter locations are in London – like the inspirations for Gringotts or Diagon Alley.
Thankfully there are a lot of Harry Potter Walking Tours in London available to tell you.
This one is one of the more affordable ones though.
You’ll also find a couple of Harry Potter shops around London, including the intriguing House of MinaLima in Soho (see more on that in our Fun Guide to London’s Soho).
Harry Potter Locations Outside London
The studios where Harry Potter was filmed are located a little outside London (fun fact, it’s near Watford my old home town and I worked as a tea lady in the old factory that the studio now sits in).
You can get the train to Watford from nearby Euston or book a door-to-door tour of the Harry Potter Studios that starts at Kings Cross.
This tour picks you up at Kings Cross and, transports you to the studio, let’s you jump the line, and brings you back into Central London again once your fun day is over.
If you’d prefer to make your own way to the studios, check out this post on the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studios from Creative Travel Guide who explain all your transport options, and give you some suggestions of what to see at the studios.
If you’re at Kings Cross because you’re heading up to Edinburgh, then you’re also going to want to check out this great list of Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh.
11. Check Out the Lights at The Kings Cross Tunnel
This space age walkway takes you to the underground from the One St Pancras Building.
It’s one of Europe’s longest light walls and contains 190 glowing panels.
It’s open seven days a week from 7am to 8pm.
It’s marked on Google Maps as the Rainbow Tunnel but it’s still a bit hard to find when you get there. Head toward that marker. When you get there, walk along the side of the Nike Store and look left – you’ll see a set of stairs and an escalator – that takes you into the tunnel.
12. Have Fun Afternoon Tea
The Hansom Bar at the St Pancras Hotel is inspired by the railway history of the area and they have been known to add touches to their afternoon teas that reflect this.
They’ve had Chocolate and Rapsberry ‘coal’ Clusters inspired by the fuel that used to power the area and sprinkles on the Bakewell Tart reflect the famous blue ironwork of St Pancras Station.
They also do themed teas for dates like Halloween, a special kids afternoon tea and offer a tour of the hotel with tea to follow.
The tea is served every day between 1 pm and 5pm. They can cater for vegetarian and plant-based diets.
Click here for more details or to book.
13. Stop Off for a Frost Beer
Kimchee is a Korean restaurant in the Pancras Square part of Kings Cross – but I wasn’t here to try their bibimbap, BBQ or bossam – I was here for beer.
Specifically, their frost beer – which is a pint of lager topped with ice – or as they describe it ‘a velvety frost layer of beer snow.’
If you think all beer in England is warm this will completely change your mind.
It reminded me of the Snow Beer I tried in Ipoh, Malaysia, but, the ice was definitely more beer flavoured.
14. Marvel at the Medical Equipment
The Wellcome Collection, is a little bit further west that most of the things in this post – technically you could say it’s in Euston, but as I’m not doing a Euston post, and when it comes to the most unusual things to do in London, this one is definitely up there, it’s going to have its home here.
It describes itself as a museum for the incurably curious and it contain hundreds of exhiibits on medicine, health and the human body.
They also do tours if you want to find out more about what, why and how the collection exists.
To check opening hours, tour times and to see what exhibits are currently showing, check their website.
While you’re here you might also want to visit the Grant Museum of Zoology just around the corner. More on that in our upcoming list of unusual London museums.
15. Go Backstage at the British Library
I admit, touring the British Library wasn’t originally on my list of fun things to do in King’s Cross – I mean libraries aren’t normally that exciting – but this one is.
Not only is it home to original copies of written works – including scraps of paper including original Beatles lyrics – that you can check out in their Treasures Room, the way the books arrive at the reading room is amazing.
They actually have a conveyor belt system that, combined with the talents of a host of librarians, means they can find any book from the eight storeys of subterranean shelves that lie underneath the library in a matter of minutes.
The Treasures Room is free to visit, but if you want to see the filing system, you’ll need to book on one of the daily tours.
Check opening hours and other details here.
If you’re looking for other museums near Kings Cross, the Foundling Museum and the Charles Dicken’s Museum are only a short walk away.
16. Listen to Isaac Newton
There’s a huge statue of Isaac Newton in the courtyard outside the British Libary – and, if you’ve got your smartphone handy, you should be able to click on a QR code and listen to him speak!
I say should be able to as, when I went to check things were still up to date in this post on my 2026 trip, I couldn’t find the QR code you need to scan to do this.
It used to be on a big purple sign.
At first I thought this meant the Talking Statues initiative might have ended, but the website is still live – so, I’m leaving this in here, just in case someone more observant than me works out where the QR code is.
Talking Statues aims to bring to life the stories of the figures around London (and other cities of the world). Famous British actors like Patrick Stewart, Damien Lewis and Prunella Scales provide the voices.
To find a list of chatting statues, visit the Talking Statues website.
17. Check out Art in a Crypt
While we’re on Euston Road, the St Pancras New Church located on Euston Road on the way to the Wellcome Collection is also worth a look.
The outside looks like it escaped from Ancient Greece with columns and caryatid figures inspired by those at the Acropolis. At the time of building it was the most expensive church built in the capital since St Pauls.
If the outside wasn’t unusual enough, inside, you’ll find a crypt housing 557 bodies that also regularly hosts art exhibits.
Unusual Places to Stay in Kings Cross
Whether you’re looking for a quick one night stop before you jump on the Eurostar, or fancy basing yourself in this area of London (I like it because it’s very handy from Heathrow as you just get on the Piccadilly line where it starts, stay on it through central London and then you’re done).
There’s now lots of hotels in this area. Most of the big chains are here, but if you’re looking for somewhere a bit more unusual to stay in Kings Cross have a look at these options…
House of Toby
I stayed at this refurbished town house in Kings Cross just after it opened a few years ago and loved it.
The rooms are very small, perfect for one person, but could be cramped for two for more than a night or two, but the location was amazing and, as a solo female traveller I felt very safe there.
I also loved the quirky cat pictures on the walls!
Click here to have a closer look at the rooms and prices.
The Standard
Opened in 2019, this was the first hotel from the famous US Standard group outside of America.
It’s located in what used to be a council building – and they’ve really made the most of the brutalist architecture.
Some of the rooms are even curved… look!
Note: the cheapest rooms don’t have windows – they say they are brilliant for jetlag, but if you like seeing the outside, make sure you book one of the other rooms.
See what’s available for your dates here.
St Pancras London, Autograph Collection
This hotel is directly over St Pancras station in what used to be the main station building.
It’s beautifully ornate, I’m in love with the windows – and, if you’re staying here then you’re definitely allowed on the Spice Girls Staircase!
Click to look at the rooms here.
Clink 78
The budget option this hostel used to be a courthouse and you can sleep in some of the rooms that used to be cells.
The bar on the premises is known as the Clash Bar as the famous punk band once appeared at the courthouse!
NOTE: The hostel is currently being renovated but will reopen in 2027.
Check prices and availability here.
Who Writes Differentville?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a journalist and author living in Sydney.
My travel articles have been published in titles including The Australian, Body & Soul at the Sunday Telegraph, RAC Horizons, Jetstar magazine and more.
I like the weird, the wonderful and anything that makes me jump and down with glee like I’m about three. That’s what you’ll find here.